Internal-combustion engine



April 6, 1954 s, M RlGGLE 2,674,234

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 27, 1949 8 Shee.ts-Sheet l INVENTORQ April 6, 1954 S. M. RIGGLE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 27, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 6, 1954 s. M. RIGGLE 2,674,234

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 2'7, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 6, 1954 s. M. RIGGLE 2,674,234

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 2'7, 1949 8 Shee'ts-Sheet 5 3a 1 H NH IN M MN I 1 ML 84 I 1? h IEI 84 Q; I l/llljpql 54 82 E I 83 \85 a2 8 55 a3 April 6, 1954 s. M. RIGGLE 2,674,234

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 27, 1 949 8 Sheets-Sheet e April 6, 1954 s. M. RIGGLE 2,674,234

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 2'7, 1949 v 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR.

April 6, 1954 s. M. RIGGLE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Aug. 2'7, 1949 I ENTOR.

Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Samuel M. Riggle, Manilla, Ind.

Application August 27, 1949, Serial No. 112,758

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines, and is particularly concerned with the rotary type of internal combustion engines.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in automobiles, trucks, and tractors; but it is also suitable for use in ships and locomotives and stationary power installations, where a relatively low ratio of horsepower power output per pound of weight is permissible, and also in airplanes, where a relatively high ratio of horsepower power output per pound of weight is necessary and desirable. Although I anticipate that the principal use of the present invention will be in automobiles, trucks, and tractors, I do not wish to limit myself to those usages or to any particular usage, since the principle of the present invention is suitable for general application in providing a rotary source of power.

Although the embodiment of the present invention which I show herein illustrates a rotary internal combustion engine adapted to the use of carbureted gasoline for fuel, ignited by spark Fig. 1 is a sectional view, taken on a plane at right angles to the main axis, showing details of stator and rotor:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view out on a plane at right angles to the main axis, through an intake-compression valve, showing an intake conduit and a compression-transfer outlet conduit;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view out at lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the compressiontransfer outlet port and the exhaust port and their abutment, looking in the direction and from the position of the arrows 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section cut on a plane 55 of Fig. 1, showing the pressure oiling tubes and their positions;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cams and their push rods and the rocker arm shaft and 20 its rocker arms, looking from and in the direcplugs, I desire it to be understood that certain I eration, and which may be easily and cheaply repaired by replacing worn or damaged parts with new ones.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary internal combustion engine having an improved compression-transfer system providing compression-transfer timing and adjustment, and having a compressiontransfer fiashport ring automatically counterbalanced with respect to the pressure of the gases in the firing chambers exerted against the fiashport ring.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary internal combustion engine having automatic adjustment to thermal contraction and expansion of rotor and stator and their various parts.

The drawings show a rotary internal combustion engine embodying the present invention. Referring now to the drawings, of which there are eight sheets,

tion of the arrows 6--6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the cams, rocker arm shaft and its bearings, the rocker arms, the valve arms and the valves, looking in the direction of the arrows 1-1 of Fig. 3, and in the direction of the arrows 11 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of one of the push rods and its rocker arm and the rocker arm adjustment;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of the rotor and a vane showing the seal bars and the seal rings, in position, looking from and in the direction of the arrows 9-9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a seal bar and its centrifugal counterbalances and its seal bar springs and. its mounting means;

Fig. 11 is a perspective end view of a seal bar and a seal bar centrifugal counterbalance and its mounting means;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view of a vane showing vane seal bars, vane seal bar springs, and vane seal bar centrifugal counterbalances and the vane counterbalance fulcrum pin in position;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective of a seal ring segment showing the ring abutments;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of the complementary ends of two adjoining segments of a seal ring, showing gas-tight slipjoints;

Fig. 15 is an axial perspective of the compression-transfer fiashport ring, looking in the direction of the arrowsl5-15 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of the compressiontransfer fiashport ring out at the line iii-l6 of Fig. 15 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the compressiontransfer flashport ring, out at the line ll|l of Fig. 15 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary perspective of the compression transfer fiashport ring, looking in the direction of the arrows l --l 5 of Fig. 3, showthe rotor compression-transfer conduits, an arc-shaped compression-transfer channel, a space-charge control lug, at the phase of rotation during which the compression-transfer system operates to charge the space of the explosion chambers;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary elevational view of the rotor showing the rotorcompression-transfer conduits, the compression-transfer flashport ring, and the compression-transfer timing ring at the phase of rotation during which the compression-transfer system operates to charge the space of the explosion chambers, looking in the direction of the arrows l9-l9 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a view of the compression-transfer timing ring looking in the direction of the arrows 2El--2B of Fig. 3;

Fig. 21 is a sectional view of the compressiontransfer timing ring out at a line 21-2! of Fig. 20 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 22 is a sectional view of the compressiontransfer timing ring out at the line 22-22 of Fig. 20 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 28 is a diagrammatic view of the compression-transfer timing ring, showing the timing ring bosses, the flashport ring Sylphons, and the timing ring clamp bars, looking axially from the rotor power stroke-exhaust end plate toward the stator power stroke-exhaust end plate;

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing the method of clamping the compressiontransfer timing ring to the stator end plate;

Fig. 25 is a fragmentary sectional view of the stator and rotor, showing the stator compressiontransfer discharge conduit, the compressiontransfer check valve, and the compression-transfer external manifold;

Fig. 26 is a surface view of the compressiontransfer check valve guide, looking from the direction of the arrow 26 of Fig. 25;

Fig. 27 is a perspective of the space charge control lug;

Fig. 28 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the rotor compression-transfer conduit, the compression-transfer fiashport ring, the compression-transfer timing ring, the stator power stroke-exhaust end plate conduit, and the com pression-transfer external manifold, showing the compression-transfer cycle at the point of charging the explosion chambers;

Fig. 29 is a sectional view showing an explosion chamber Sylphon, a flashport ring Sylphon, the rotor compression-transfer conduit, the compression-transfer fiashport ring and the compression-transfer timing ring at the phase of rotation during which the charges in the explosion chambers are ignited;

Fig. 30 is a cut-away perspective view of a valve, showing the complementary segments of the same;

Fig. 31 is a sectional view of a valvecut along the arrows 3l3l of Fig. 30 with parts added;

Fig. 32 is a perspective view of a segmented valve seal showing the gas-tight slip-joints;

Fig. 33 is a radial view of a valve seal bar, showing its gas-tight slip-joint.

Fig. 34 is an axial view of a seal ring segment and its seal ring centrifugal counterbalances.

We refer now to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. The present engine comprises a rotor, indicated by the numeral 40, and a stator indicated by the numeral 4|. The stator has a shell 42, having an inner cylindrical wall 43. The stator has an intake-compression end plate 44, and a power stroke-exhaust end plate 45.

The said stator carries a plurality of valves slidably mounted in valve sleeves mounted in openings through said stator shell 42. The present engine has three intake-compression valves, of which one numbered 46 may be seen in the present drawings, see Fig. 2; and it has three power stroke-exhaust valves numbered 49, 50, 5|. There are three valve sleeves numbered 52, 53, 54. In the present engine an intake-compression valve and a power stroke-exhaust valve are mounted in each valve sleeve. Thus a power stroke-exhaust valve is axially in line with each intake-compression valve. But I desire to make it clear that the power stroke-exhaust valves may be staggered with respect to the intake-compression valves without departing from the principles of the present invention.

Said rotor 40 has a main axial shaft 55, and a rotor shell 56, a rotor intake-compression end plate 51, and a rotor power stroke-exhaust end plate 58.

Said rotor shell 56 has an annular intakecompression channel 59, and an annular power stroke-exhaust channel 60. Said intake-compression channel 59 has a cylindrical wall BI and side walls 52 and 63. The power stroke-exhaust channel 60 has a cylindrical wall 64 and side walls 65 and 66.

The rotor shell 55 of the present engine has three intake-compression vanes, and the present drawings show one of them numbered 61; and it has three power stroke-exhaust vanes 10, H, 12.

Said rotor shell 56 has a plurality of seal ring channels 13 at each axial end of said rotor shell and at the axial center of said rotor shell between said rotor intake-compression channel and said rotor power stroke-exhaust channel.

Mounted in the seal ring channels 13 are a plurality of segmented seal rings 14, engaging the inner cylindrical wall 43 of said stator. Also mounted in said seal ring channels 13, behind said seal rings 14, are a plurality of seal ring centrifugal counterbalances l5 and seal ring springs 76. The seal ring springs 16 are fiat, Wavy, arc-shaped springs. The seal ring centrifugal counterbalances 15 are mounted on seal ring counterbalance fulcrum pins 11. Fulcrum pins l I are mounted in bores at axial right angles to seal ring channels 13 appropriately spaced around the periphery of rotor shell 56 and rotor end plates 51 and 58 and through said end plates 57 and 58 and through the castellated portions of rotor shell 55 which form seal ring channels 13. The seal ring centrifugal counterbalances 15 are coupled at the segmented seal rings 14 by the seal ring counterbalance links 18, see Fig. 34.

Said vanes 6'! and Hi to 12 have a plurality of axial channels 19 in which are mounted vane seal bars 89 engaging the inner cylindrical wall 43 of said stator. Referring now to Fig. 9, the said segmented seal rings M adjacent to said intake-compression channel 58 and said power stroke-exhaust channel 60 have openings 8| accommodating the ends of said vane seal bars in gas-tight slip joints.

Vane seal bar centrifugal counterbalance 82, linked to said vane seal bars 89 by vane seal bar counterbalance links 84, and vane seal bar springs 95, best shown in Fig. 10, are mounted in said vane axial channels 79 behind said vane seal bars 89 on vane counterbalance fulcrum pins 83. The seal ring counterbalance links It and the vane seal bar counterbalance links 84 are preferably made of resilient metal.

Said segmented seal rings I4 have shoulders 86, see Fig. 9, projecting into openings along the sides of said seal ring channels I3, by which means said seal rings are carried into rotation with said rotor. Said vane seal bar centrifugal counterbalances 82 are mounted on vane counterbalance fulcrum pins 83, best shown in Fig. and Fig. 12. Said segmented seal rings I4 have three-dimensional gas-tight slip-joints between the segments of same, as shown in Fig. 14. In the present engine each of the said segmented seal rings comprises three segments.

Mounted on the axial shaft 55 between the rotor intake-compression end plate 51 and the stator intake-compression end plate 44 is a valvelifting cam 8! and a valve depressing cam 99. The rotor end plate 51 and the valve-lifting cam 81 and the valve-depressing cam 89 are keyed to the axial shaft 55 by means of a key 89. Said rotor power stroke-exhaust end plate 59 is keyed to said axial shaft 55 by means of key 99.

Said axial shaft 55 has a central axial bore 9i on the intake-compression end of same and a central bore 92 on the power stroke-exhaust end of same. Said rotor shell 56 has an inner chamber 95 which serves as a coolant chamber. Radial bores 93 through the intake-compression end of axial shaft 55 communicate between axial bore 9I and said rotor inner chamber 95; and radial bores 94 through the power strokeexhaust end of axial shaft 55 communicate between the axial bore 92 and said rotor inner chamber 95.

Said rotor shell 56 is concentrically fixed by suitable means to the rotor end plates 5'! and 59.

Said stator shell 42 is concentrically fixed by suitable means to stator end plates 44 and 45. The stator end plates 44 and 45 have centrally located axial bores 96 and 91 for receiving axial shaft 55 and counterbores 98 and 99 for receiving radial bearings I99, thrust bearings I9I, packing rings I92, and bearing retainers I93.

Said axial shaft 55 has a reduced cylindrical portion I94 at each end to accommodate said radial bearings I 99, and a further-reduced cylindrical portion M3 at each end of said shaft 55 to accommodate the thrust bearings I9I and the packing rings I92. Said counterbores 99 and 99 have threaded outer portions to accommodate the threaded bearing retainers I93. A special Wrench to fit bearing retainers I93 permits the axial adjustment of the shaft 55 and the endplay between the thrust bearings NH.

The space between the stator end plate 44 and the rotor end plate 51 forms the oil chamber I95. The space between stator end plate 45 and rotor end plate 58 forms oil chamber I95.

Stator end plates 44 and 45 have fixed. by suitable means on their outer walls coolant distribution rings I91 and I99 having bosses 2M and 2 I5 for the inlet and the outlet of the coolant fluid for the stator, see Fig. 3. Stator shell 42 has suitable coolant channels I99, see Fig. 3, communicating with the coolant distribution rings I91 and I98 through openings H9 in stator end plates 44 and 45.

The rocker arm shafts III are mounted axially through bores 2| Ii, in bearings II2 borne by abutments II3, see Fig. 7. Suitably fixed to the rocker arm shafts I I I are the rocker arms I I4 extending in a forward direction over the valvelifting cam 87, see Fig. '7. Suitably fixed to the rocker arm shafts III are the rocker arms II5 extending in a backward direction over the valvedepressing cam 89, see Fig. 7.

Rocker arms H4 and H5 bear in threaded bores through their outer ends the valve clearance adjustments IIB, having on their radially inward ends a ball-shaped structure Ill and on their radially-outward ends a screw-driver slot II8 by which the clearance adjustment is made, see Fig. 8. The valve clearance adjustments IIB are looked in place by locknuts II9. Push rods I29 and pushrods I2I acts as followers for cams 8'! and 28 respectively, see Fig. 6. The push rods I29 and the push rods I2I bear on their radially outward ends cup-shaped sockets I22 for receiving the ball-shaped ends II! of the valve clearance adjustments H6, see Fig. 8.

The rocker arm shafts II I have affixed in a forward-extending direction over the valves 45 and 49 to 5i the valve arms I23, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 7. Through axial bores I24 in the forward.- extending ends of valve arms I23 are fixed the valve arm pins I25. The valves 49 and 49 to 5| are comprised each of two interlocking complementary segments I26 and I21, see Fig. 30.

The valve segments I26 and I2? have axial bores I28 and I29 accommodating valve pins I39, see Fig. 31. Valve links I3I have axial bores I32 on their radially-inward ends accommodating valve pins I39, and axial bores I33 on their radially-outward ends accommodating valve arm pins I 25, see Fig. 31. A valve link I3I is mounted on the valve arm pins I on each side of the valve arms I23 and on the valve pins I 39 adjacent to the valve segments I26 and I21. The valve spreader spring I34 is mounted on valve pin I39 between the two valve links I3I serving each valve resiliently urging valve segments I25 and I2! axially apart and into engagement with the end walls I 35 of valve sleeves 5254, see Fig. 3.

Valve sleeves 52-54 have valve sleeve grooves I3! running continuously around the end walls I35, see Fig. 3,. and the side walls I39 of valve sleeves 5254, see Fig. 1. Mounted in the valve sleeve grooves I31 are the segmented valve seals I39. The valve seals I38 are formed of four segments I39, each segment having an end portion at right angles to a side portion, the adjoining ends of said valve seal segments I39 having complernentary portions forming gas-tight slip-joints I49, see Fig. 32.

The valve sleeves 52-54 are fitted into the openings of stator shell 42, the joints being made gas-tight by means of packings I 8?, see Fig. 25.

Mounted in valve sleeve grooves I3? behind valve seals I39 are the valve seal springs 2I'I, which are fiat wavy springs, urging the valve seal segments I39 resiliently into engagement with the side walls and the end walls of valves 46 and 49 to El, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. Extending axially along the radially-inward walls of valves 4'5 and E9 to El are a plurality of T-shaped grooves I42, see Fig. and Fig. 1. Mounted in the T-shaped grooves I42 are the T-shaped segmented valve seal bars I49. Said valve seal bars M3 are each formed of two'segments numbered I44 and I45, which have on their adjoining ends complementary portions forming gas-tight slipjoints I46, see Fig. 33.

The outer ends of said valve seal bar segments M4 and I45 have bores I41 and I48 accommodating the radially inward ends of valve seal bar alignment pins I49, see Fig. 31. The valve segments I26 and I21 also have bores numbered I50 and I threaded at their radially-outward ends, in alignment with and communicating with the T-shaped grooves I42 and near the outer ends of same, see Fig. 31. The valve seal bar alignment pins I 49 are mounted in bores I50 and I5! and engage bores I48 and I41 of segments I44 and I 45, thus holding the outer ends of segments I44 and I45 flush with the outer walls of valve segments I26 and I21. The thermal expansion and contraction of valve seal bar segments I44 and I45 is accommodated by the gas-tight slip-joint I46.

Valve seal bar springs I52, which are flat wavy springs, are mounted in the T-shaped grooves I 42 behind the valve seal bars I43 and between the seal bar alignment pins I49, urging said valve seal bars radially inward into engagement resiliently with the rotor cylindrical walls 5! and 64 and the rises of vanes 61 and to 12.

The valve seal bar alignment pins I49 have screwdriver slots on their radially outward ends, by which means the threaded portion of said seal bar alignment pins may be made to engage the threaded portion of alignment pin bores I59 and I5I of the valve segments I26 and I21.

The stator shell 42 carries the inlet abutments I53 located on the periphery of said stator shell, on the intake-compression end of same and in direction of rotation just after the said valve sleeves, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The stator shell 42 also carries the outlet abutments I54 on the periphery of said stator shell just before said valve sleeves, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and 4.

The said inlet abutments I53 have intake conduits I55 with their inner ports I56 located in the stator cylindrical Wall 43 near and in direc tion of rotation just after the radially-inward portion of the intake-compression end of valve sleeves 52-54, see Fig. 2.

The said outlet abutments I54 have the compression transfer outlet conduits I51 with their inner ports I58 located in the stator cylindrical wall 43 near and in the direction of rotation just before the radially-inward portion of the intake-compression end of valve sleeves 5254, see Fig. 2.

The outlet abutments I54 also have exhaust conduits I59 with their inner ports I60 located in the stator cylindrical wall 43 near and in direction of rotation just before the radially-inward portion of the power stroke-exhaust end of valve sleeves 5254, see Fig. l.

The bores of compression transfer outlet conduits I51 have counterbores I6I, accommodating check valve seats I62, and threaded counterbores I63 accommodating threaded check valve guides I64, see Fig. 25. The check valves I 65 are mounted in the check valve seats I62 with the valve stems engaging the bores I66 of the check valve guides I64. The check valve springs I61, which are helically coiled, are mounted around the stems of check valves I55 between check valve guides I64 and the check valve disks I 68, see Fig. 25. The check valve guides I64 have arc-shaped openings I69, to permit the egress of the compressed fuel-air mixture, see Fig. 26.

The compression-transfer external manifolds I10 are mounted with one end of same fixed by suitable means to outlet abutments I54 and communicating with the compression-transfer outlet conduits I51, see Fig. 25. The other end of said compression-transfer external manifolds are fixed by suitable means to the stator power strokeexhaust end plate 45, communicating with the compression-transfer conduits I1I of end plate 45, see Fig. 28.

Said end plate 45 has annular ribs I12 and I13 projecting from the inner wall of same, see Fig. 28. The compression-transfer timing ring I14 is mounted concentrically on the inner wall of end plate 45. Said timing ring I14 has two annular ribs I15 and I16, forming interlocking gas-tight joints with the end plate 45 and its annular ribs I12 and I13, see Fig. 24. The space between the annular ribs I15 and I16 of said timing ring I 14 forms an annular pressure-equalizing conduit 111, by which means the compression-transfer pressure made available to each of the explosion chambers is equalized.

The compression-transfer timing ring I14 is clamped into place by clamp bar I13, having threaded bores I19 at each end for receiving the threaded ends of clamp bar studs I90. The end plate 45 has a plurality of clamp bar stud bores ItI, through which the said clamp bar studs are projected into engagement with the threaded bores I19 of clamp bars I18, see Fig. 24. Said stator shell 42 has on its inner cylindrical wall 43 the recessed portions I82 to accommodate the clamp bars I18 and the outer clamp bar studs I80, see Fig. 24.

The said timing ring I14 carries the axially inward extending bosses I83, which engage the counterbores I84 of the fiashport ring I85 with gas-tight slip-joints, see Fig. 28. The fiashport ring I85 has fiashport bores I86 communicating with the compression-transfer timing ring I14 and its bosses I83, see Fig. 28. The flashport ring springs I88, which are helical in form, are mounted around the timing ring bosses I83 and between the compression-transfer timing ring I 14 and the flashport ring I05, and said flashport ring springs resiliently urge said flashport ring axially inward into engagement with rotor end plate 58, see Fig. 28.

Said rotor end plate 58 has compression-transfer conduits I89; and rotor shell 56 has compression-transfer conduits I90, see Fig. 28. Said compression-transfer conduits I90 extend axially inward slightly past a point radially in line with the power stroke-exhaust channel side wall 66, see Fig. 29, then extends radially outward, terminating with the rotor inside ports I 9I see Fig. 19.

The compression-transfer conduits I69 are concentrically spaced in a circle having the same radius as that of the circle locating fiashport bores I86. The arc-shaped space charge control channels I92, extending backwards from the compression-transfer conduits I39, are equipped at their backward ends with the space charge control lugs I93, see Fig. 18 and Fig. 19. The control lugs I93 close the backward end of channels I92, and in effect determine the termination of channel I92, thus determining the point of rotation at which the compression-transfer gases cease to flow into the explosion chambers.

The rotor inside ports I9I are located on the rise of the cam-shaped vanes 10-12 and in direction of rotation just after the dwell or rest of said cam-shaped vanes, see Fig. 18. Thus in proper phase of rotation the compression-transfer gases flow from the external manifold I10 9 through conduits III of end plate 45 and through conduits I94 of compression-transfer timing ring I14 and its bosses I83, through conduits I86 of flashport ring I35, through conduits I89 of rotor end plate 58, and through conduits IQ?) of rotor shell 56 into explosion chambers I95, see Fig. 28.

During the phase of rotation when the explosion chambers 595 are not being charged with the compression-transfer gases, that is, when the rotor outside ports of conduits I89 of end plate 8 are not in registration with flashport bores I86, the flashport ring I85 seals the end of conduits I89 and arc-shaped channels I92 of end plate 58, and end plate 58 seals the ends of flashport bores I86 of flashport ring Ignition means for explosion chambers P35 is provided by spark plugs I9! mounted in threaded bores through stator shell 42 into recesses communicating with explosion chambers i535, said spark plugs being mounted near to and in direction of rotation just after the power stroke-exhaust valves 32-5 I, see Fig. 1.

Also mounted in threaded bores through stator shell 52 communicating with explosion chambers Hi are explosion chamber Sylphons I98, located axially in line with said spark plugs and between said spark plugs and the plane of the rotor power stroke-exhaust channel cylindrical wall 68, see Fig. 29.

Flashport ring Sylphons I99 mounted between fiashport ring I85 and timing ring I'M communicate with explosion chamber Sylphons I93 through Sylphon tubes 200, see Fig. 29. Sylphon tube bores ZdI and Sylphon tube threaded counterbores 2&2, with Sylphon tube packing rings 2% and packing nuts 2%, provide an oil-tight entrance of Sylphon tubes 29!] through. stator shell t2, see Fig. 29. Explosion chamber Sylphons H38 are provided with Sylphon fittings 2135 providing proper connections with Sylphon tubes 220 and providing a means of charging explosion chamber Sylphons I93 and flashport ring Sylphons I99 and the Sylphon tubes 280 with suitable hydraulic fluid, see Fig. 29. The purpose of explosion chamber Sylphons I98 and fiashport ring Sylphons I99 and their fittings is to provide a means of counteracting the backpressure of the gases in said explosion chamber through rotor shell conduits I90 and rotor end plate conduits I89 against the axially inside wall of fiashport ring i85 during the phase of rotation when the rotor outside ports of conduits I89 and the flashport bores Fit are not in registration. The purpose of the flashport ring spring I38 is to urge the fiashport ring I85 axially inward with suitable pressure into engagement with rotor end plate 58 at all phases of rotation. By means of said explosion chamber Sylphons and said flashport ring Sylphons and their fittings the backpressure of the explosion chambers exerted axially outwardly against said flashport ring may be counteracted by an equal pressure applied by said fiashport ring Sylphons between the timing ring I14, which is stationary, and the flashport ring 185, which is axially movable.

Inasmuch as by the above stated means the backpressure of the gases of the explosion chambers against the axially-inside wall of the flashport ring may be efiectually counterbalanced by an equal pressure applied to the opposite side of said iiashport ring, the pressure of said flashport ring against rotor end plate 58 may be kept nearly constant at all phases of rotation by said flashport ring springs.

The gas-tight joints of timing ring bosses I83 engaging fiashport ring counterbores I84 provide a means of compensating for the axial thermal expansion and contraction of said rotor and said stator with regard to the transfer oi the compression-transi'er gases from stator to rotor. The axial pressure of the gases against the outside of said iiashport ring m5 within nasnport ring counterbores I84 provides an addltr -nal means of urging said flashport ring into engagement with rotor end plate 55. When the present engine is in operation the stationary member we maintains gas-tight sliding contact with rotating member 58.

Inasmuch as rotor shell 56 is spaced from the stator inner cylindrical wall R3, the segmented seal rings l4 mounted in rotor seal ring channels it, and vane seal bars mounted in vane axial channels "l3, maintain sliumg gas-tight contact with the stator inner cylindrical wall 43 at all phases of rotation. Inasmuch as the said segmerited seal rings and the said vane seal bars are radially moveable, being snuably mounted in their respective channels, during rotation the centrifugal iorce of said segmented seal rings and said vane seal bars tends to urge them radially outward into contact with said inner cylindrical wall c3 of said stator shell e2. 'lhe purpose or the seal ring centrifugal counterbalances lo and the vane seal bar centrii'ugal counterbalances is to counteract the centrnugal iorce or said segmented seal rings and said vane seal bars respectively caused by rotation. The purpose or the seal ring springs lb and the vane seal bar springs 85, which are hat wavy springs, is to maintain engagement under suitable pressure of said segmented seal rings and said vane seal bars respectively with stator inner cylindrical wall 'l'he axial dimensions of the valve openings through valve sleeves 52-54 are equal to the axial dimensions of the rotor mtaxe-compression channel 55 and the rotor power stroxe-exhausr, channel 69.

The axial dimensions of the said vane seal bars is greater than the axial dimension or the valve openlngs through said valve sleeves, and in the phase of rotation when said vane seal bars over the valve openings of said valve sleeves the ends of said vane seal bars maintain slicing contact with the inner cylindrical wall and the radially inward end walls oi said valve sleeves, see Fig. 9.

Although in the present engine the axial dimensions of the intake-compression valves and the power stroke-exhaust valves are equal, and therefore the axial dimensions or the rotor intake-compression channels and the power strokeexhaust channels are equal, I desire to malse it clear that the axial dimensions of the insanecompression valves and the intake-compression channels may be made greater than or less than the power stroke-exhaust valves and the power stroke-exhaust channels.

Pressure oiling tubes 206 supply oil under able pressure to segmented seal rings it through oil tube bores 20'] through said stator shell, and said pressure oiling tubes are mounted by means of threaded oil tube nuts 209 engaging threaded oil tube counterbores 2"), see Fig. 5.

The lubricating oil supplied to the valve lubrication chambers 2I2, which are the spaces enclosed by valve covers 2I I, is introduced through suitable pressure oiling tubes entering by suitable means the valve covers ZII'. The valve lubrication chambers ZIZ. communicate with oil chambers I05 and I06 through bores 2 l3 and 11 229 of stator shell 42 and bores 2-24 and 219 of valves sleeves 52-54, see Fig. 3. The oil chambers I05 and I06 communicate with the radial bearing I and the thrust bearings IOI through bores 222 and 223 in the stator end plates 44 and 45, see Fig. 3.

The valve covers 2 are mounted over the rocker arm shafts III, their bearings and their abutments, the rocker arms and push rods, the valve arms, the valve linkages, and the valves, said valve covers being mounted partly on the valve sleeves and partly on the periphery of the stator shell, passing over the inlet abutments and the outlet abutments, see Fig. l, and Fig. 3, and Fig. 4.

We shall now describe the method of operation of the present engine. A mixture of gasoline and air is supplied by suitable external means to intake conduit I55. When said rotor rotates, carrying said intake-compression vanes past the intake ports I56, said intake-compression vanes draw a charge of the fuel-air mixture into the compression chambers behind them, the intakecompression valves maintaining a sliding gastight contact by means of their valve seal bars with the intake-compression channel of cylindrical wall and side walls. As the intakecompression vanes continue to rotate they continue to draw the fuel-air mixture into the compression chambers behind them and at the same time they compress the fuel-air mixture drawn into the compression chambers each by its preceding intake-compression vane into the compression-transfer outlet conduits I51 through the inner ports I58. The check valves I65 open automatically under the superior pressure generated in the compression chambers, and as the intake-compression vanes pass the inner ports I 58 the intake-compression valves 46 are lifted axially into the valve openings of valve sleeves 5254, thus interrupting the sliding contact maintained by the intake-compression valves through their valve seal bars with the intakecompression channel cylindrical wall. 6| and side walls 6263 and the leading rise of the camshaped intake-compression vanes. 61.

As the pressure in the compression chambers recedes. the check valves are. closed by the resilient action of their check valve springs and the superior pressure now. temporarily. present in the compression-transfer outlet conduits. I]. The check valves remain closed while the intake compression vanes and their vane sealbars move past the intake-compression valve openings. of said valve sleeves; and during this phase of rotation the intake-compression. valves with their valve seal bars are withdrawn a sufficient dis-- tance into their valve openings. of said valve sleeves by the action of the rocker arm shafts being actuated by the cam disks until the said intake-compression vanes and their vane seal bars have passed. When the intake-compression vanes and their vane seal bars have passed the intake-compression valve openings of the said valve sleeves a sufiicient distance, the intake-compression valves with their valve seal bars are projected. from their intake-compression openings of the. said valve sleeves into engagement with the trailing rise of the camshaped intake-compression vanes. In this manner the fuel-air mixture. continues to be supplied under suitable pressure to. the compressiontransfer outlet conduits.

From the said; outlet conduits: I51 the com-. pressed fuel-air mixture flows through. theicome pression-transfer external manifolds III], the compression-transfer conduits of end plate 45, at which point the pressures present to be made available to the three explosion chambers of the present engine are equalized through the annular pressure-equalizing conduit I", then through the compression-transfer timing ring conduits I94, the fiashport bores I86 of fiashport ring I85, and in proper phase of rotation through the compression-transfer conduits of end plate 58 and their arc-shaped space charge control channels I92, and through the compression-transfer conduits of rotor shell 56 into the explosion chambers I95.

The fiashport bores I86 of the fiashport ring I and the rotor outside ports of conduits I89 of end plate 58 come into registration as soon as the power stroke-exhaust valves and their valve seal bars are projected from the power stroke-exhaust valve openings of the said valve sleeves by action of the rocker arm shafts and their linkages being actuated by the cam disks, into contact with the training rise of the camshaped power stroke-exhaust vanes.

The fiashport bores of the said fiashport ring continue to be in registration with the rotor outside ports I89 and the space-charge control channels I92 until the power stroke-exhaust vanes and their vane seal bars have passed the spark plugs a suitable distance and a sufficient charge of fuel-air mixture has flowed into the said explosion chambers. At this point the flashport bores and the space-charge control channels go out of registration, and soon thereafter the charges in the said explosion chambers are ignited by the spark plugs.

The exploded gases in the explosion chambers drive the power stroke-exhaust vanes. forward. When the power stroke-exhaust vanes pass the exhaust ports through the exhaust conduit I59 to the outside. As the rotor continues to rotate, and as the power stroke exhaust vanes approach the power stroke-exhaust valves, the power stroke-exhaust valves are caused by the rocker arm shafts and their linkages, being actuated by the cam disks, to recede into the power stroke-exhaust openings of the said valve sleeves until the said power stroke-exhaust vanes have passed. As soon as the power stroke-exhaust vanes have passed the power stroke-exhaust valve openings of said valve sleeves, and as the rotor continues to rotate, the said power stroke-exhaust valves with their valve seal bars are projected from the power stroke-exhaust valve openings of said valve sleeves into engagement with the trailing rises of said cam-shaped power stroke-exhaust vanes.

As soon as the power stroke-exhaust valves with their valve seal bars come into engagement with the trailing rises of the cam-shaped power stroke-exhaust vanes and have passed the rotor inside ports I9I, the fiashport bores come into registration with the said rotor outside ports, and new charges of the compressed fuel-air mixture flow into the said explosion chambers. And, as the rotor continues to rotate, while the new charges of the fuel-air mixture flow into the explosion chambers and while those charges are being exploded and expanded behind the power stroke-exhaust vanes, each power strokeexhaust vane drives the gases which have been exploded behind its preceding power stroke-exhaust vane at, the; preceding explosion throughthe exhaust conduit to the outside. Thus the intake-compression. vanes contmue. todraw in I 66 the exhaust gases flowand compress the fuel-air mixture, thus the fuelair mixture under pressure continues to flow in proper phase of rotation into the explosion chambers behind the power stroke-exhaust vanes where it is exploded, and thus the gases behind the power stroke-exhaust vanes continue to drive the power stroke-exhaust vanes forward, and thus the power stroke-exhaust vanes continue to drive the exhaust gases through the exhaust conduits to the outside.

In the present engine the intake-compression valves are equally spaced around the stator shell at three points, and the power stroke-exhaust valves are also equally spaced around the stator, being axially in line with the intake-compression valves. The intake-compression vanes are equally spaced at three points around the periphery of the rotor, and the power stroke-exhaust vanes are also equally spaced at three points around the periphery of the rotor, being axially in line with the intake-compression vanes.

The functions of intake and compression are performed by the intake-compression parts of the present engine simultaneously with the functions of power stroke and exhaust performed by the power stroke-exhaust parts of the present engine. When the intake-compression valves recede from the leading rises of the intake-compression vanes, the power stroke-exhaust valves recede simultaneously from the leading rises of the power stroke-exhaust vanes. And when the intake-compressionv valves approach and engage the trailing rises of the intake-compression vanes, the power stroke-exhaust valves simultaneously approach and engage the trailing rises of the power stroke-exhaust vanes.

-In the present engine there are three simultaneous explosions in the three explosion chambers, and there are three separate explosions in each explosion chamber during each revolution. But I desire to make it clear that other arrangements of the present invention are possible and feasible. Obviously an engine might be built having either two or four or more simultaneous explosions without departing from the principles of the present invention; and obviously the minimum number of explosions possible in the present invention would be one single explosion during each revolution. But also other combinations are possible: for instance, an engine using the elements of the present engine might be built having four intake-compression valves and four power stroke-exhaust valves equally spaced around the stator and having three intake-compression vanes and three power stroke-exhaust vanes equally spaced around the rotor, such an arrangement of parts giving twelve single and separate explosions during each revolution.

In the present engine the intake-compression vanes each draw behind them a charge of fuelair mixture into the compression chambers, while at the same time they each compress before them the fuel-air mixture drawn into the compression chambers during the preceding one-third revolution by its preceding intake-compression vane. In like manner, as the gases in the explosion chambers drive the power stroke-exhaust vanes forward, each power stroke-exhaust vane drives before it to the outside the gases which have been exploded and expanded during the previous one-third revolution behind its preceding power stroke-exhaust vane.

It should be made clear that the space charge control lugs are designed so that they are interchangeable with spare sets of space charge control lugs having either longer or shorter arcuate dimensions as desired to shorten or lengthen the phase of rotation during which the charge of compressed fuel-air mixture flows into the explosion chambers.

The lubricating oil for oil chambers Hi5 and H36 may be introduced through and drained from threaded bores properly equipped with oil tubes and threaded oil tube nuts properly arranged on the stator end plate, which threaded bores, oil tubes and threaded oil tube nuts are not shown in the present drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamher, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said rotor having compression-transfer conduits, said stator having intake conduits and compression-transfer conduits and exhaust con duits, said stator carrying a compression-transfer timing ring, a compression-transfer flashport ring engaging said rotor, said stator carrying a plurality of explosion chamber Sylphons mounted in bores in said stator shell communicating with said explosion chambers, a plurality of flashport ring Sylphons mounted between said compression-transfer timing ring and said compressiontransfer fiashport ring and exerting pressure axially against said compression-transfer flashport ring and urging same into engagement with said rotor, said explosion chamber Sylphons being connected by hydraulic tubing to said flashport ring Sylphons.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said rotor having compression-transfer conduits, said stator having intake conduits and compression-transfer conduits and exhaust conduits, said stator carrying a compression-transfer timing ring, a compression-transfer flashport ring engaging said rotor, said roto-r power stroke-exhaust end plate having arc-shaped channels communieating with said rotor compression-transfer conduits and serving to extend the phase of registration of said rotor compression-transfer conduits with the fiashports of said compressiontransfer flashport ring, said rotor carrying in said arc-shaped channels of the rotor power strokeexhaust end plate a plurality of space-charge control lugs with suitable mounting means providing a means of varying the length of the phase of rotation during which the explosion chambers are being charged.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said rotor having compression-transfer conduits, said stator having intake conduits and compression-transfer conduits and exhaust conduits, said stator carrying a compression-transfer timing ring, a compression-transfer fiashport ring engaging said rotor, said compression-transfer timing ring being mounted on the inside wall of the power stroke-exhaust end plate of said stator in a rotatably adjustable manner, said compression-transfer timing ring having bosses for transferring th compression gases and for engaging said compression-transfer fiashport ring, said compression-transfer timing ring cooperating with the said stator power stroke-exhaust end plate to form an annular compression-transfer '15 equalizing conduit communicating with the bosses of said compression-transfer timing ring.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said rotor having compression-transfer conduits, said stator having intake conduits andcompression-transfer conduits and exhaust conduits, said stator carrying a compression-transfer timing ring, a compression-transfer fiashport ring engaging said rotor, said compression-transfer flashport ring being mounted in an axially slidable manner with gas-tight slip-joints on bosses of said compression-transfer timing ring for engaging said rotor with gas-tight sliding contact and having resilient means for urging such engagement.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said rotor having compression-transfer conduits, said stator having intake conduits and compression-transfer conduits and exhaust conduits; said stator carrying a compression-transfer timing ring, a compression-transfer fiashport ring engaging said rotor, said stator carrying a plurality of explosion chamber Sylphons mounted in bores through the shell of said stator communicating with said explosion chambers, a plurality of flashport ring Sylphons mounted between said compression-transfer timing rin and said compression-transfer flashport ring f or exerting pressure in an axial direction against said compression-transfer fiashport ring and urging same into gas-tight sliding contact with said rotor, said explosion chamber Sylphons being connected by hydraulic tubing to said fiashport ring Sylphons, said explosion chamber Sylphons and said hyhydraulic tubing and said fiashport ring Sylphons, being filled with hydraulic fluid, said explosion chamber Sylphons being actuated by the pressure of the gases of said explosion chambers and actuating said flashport ring Sylphons by hydraulic pressure exerted through said hydraulic tubing, said explosion chamber Sylphons and said hydraulic tubing and said fiashport ring Sylphons being adapted to counterbalance the pressure of the gases of said explosion chambers exerted through said rotor compression-transfer conduits against said compression-transfer fiashport ring.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said stator carrying a plurality of explosion chamber Sylphons mounted in bores through the shell of said stator communicating with the explosion chambers and said explosion chamber Sylphons being actuated by the pressure of the gases in said explosion chambers, a plurality of flashport ring Sylphons mounted within said cylindrical chamber for exerting pressure in an axial direction against a compression-transfer fiashport ring and urging same into gas-tight sliding contact with said rotor, said flashport ring Sylphons being actuated by means of hydraulic pressure exerted through hydraulic tubin by said 16' explosion chamber Sylphons, chamber Sylphons and said hydraulic tubing and said fiashport ring Sylphons being adapted to counterbalance the pressure of the gases of said explosion chambers exerted through the compression-transfer conduits of said rotor against said compression-transfer flashport ring.

7. In an internal combustion engine,- the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mountedin said chamber, said stator having a compression-transfer timing ring mounted in a rotatably adjustable manner on the inside wall of the power stroke-exhaust end plate of said stator, a compression-transfer flashport ring mounted in an axially slidable manner with gas-tight slip joints on bosses of said compression-transfer timing ring for engaging said rotor with gas-tight sliding contact and for transferring the compression gases through the fiashports of said fiashp'ort ring into the com pression-transfer conduits of said rotor during the phases of rotation during which the explosion chambers are being charged withthe compression gases, and resilient means for urging said flashport ring into engagement with said rotor, said compression-transfer fiashport ring serving to seal the outer ends of the rotor compressiontransfer conduits during the phase of rotation in which said rotor compression-transfer conduits are not in registration with theflashports of said flashport ring.

8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a stator having a cylindrical chamber, with a rotor rotatably mounted in said chamber, said stator having a compression-transfer flashport rin engaging said rotor, a plurality of explosion chamber Sylphons mounted in bores in said stator shell communicating with said explosion chambers, a plurality of flashport ring Sylphons mounted between said compressiontransfer flashport ring and said stator power stroke-exhaust end plate and exerting pressure axially against said compression-transfer flashport ring and urging same into-gas-tight' sliding contact with said r'otor References Cited in" the file" of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 974,803 De Lukacsevics Nov. 8, 19 10 992,096 Wright etal. May 9,1911

1,184,114 Matthews May 23, 1916 1,405,326 Powell Jan. 31, 1922' 1,754,787 Flogaus Apr. 15, 1930 1,894,480 Beuoy Jan. 17, 1933 1,968,982 Barnaby et al Aug.- 7,1934 2,175,265' Johnson Oct. 10, 1939 2,196,675 Humrichouse- Apr. 9; 1940 2,243,819 Herrmann May 27, 1941 2,288,831 OHarrow July- 7, 1942 2,358,165 Ingram -Sept,'12,1944

, FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Country Date 494,433 Great Britain- Oct. 26, 1938 said explosion 

